An early spring 2012 fully loaded tour by backroads and bikeways from Canberra to Melbourne. 1000 km 15 days. Crossed the Snowy-Monaro region and down the Gippsland coast and via Phillip Island into Melbourne.Used the Barry Way and Snowy River Road to get across the divide.A very enjoyable ride. Very little traffic the entire way.A full route description, photos, references, accommodation list etc are available in this journal.http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/laketolake

Well done Graham. I followed your ride with interest and looks like you got a real nice weather window. Nice pics too.

BTW I think I saw your party at Sandringham last Sat morning heading along Beach Road. I recognised one of your party, a bearded bloke on a Mongoose. There was recumbent rider too but he may have just been passing.

I think your SKS stay end-caps are not correctly fitted. Have you worked their set-up out?

An aside by the way - I think we met your daughter (?) in Central Australia at some location (can't recall exactly where). She told us all about her dad riding from Canberra to Sydney on a first cycle-tour and I twigged something familiar and asked "Was it the 'House to House Tour'?" She replied in the affirmative. It may have been at the Alice Springs YHA as I think it was fairly early in our tour, or maybe at Yulara.

Riding bikes in traffic - what seems dangerous is usually safe; what seems safe is often more dangerous.

Uncle Just wrote:Well done Graham. I followed your ride with interest and looks like you got a real nice weather window. Nice pics too.

BTW I think I saw your party at Sandringham last Sat morning heading along Beach Road. I recognised one of your party, a bearded bloke on a Mongoose. There was recumbent rider too but he may have just been passing.

No recumbent in our group Uncle Just, but yes Will was on a Mongoose and we did go through Sandringham. Small world.We had fun trying to catch the pelotons with our loaded bikes.

I think your SKS stay end-caps are not correctly fitted. Have you worked their set-up out?

An aside by the way - I think we met your daughter (?) in Central Australia at some location (can't recall exactly where). She told us all about her dad riding from Canberra to Sydney on a first cycle-tour and I twigged something familiar and asked "Was it the 'House to House Tour'?" She replied in the affirmative. It may have been at the Alice Springs YHA as I think it was fairly early in our tour, or maybe at Yulara.

I'll have another look at the SKS caps. Thanks. Fitted (badly) my first mudguards in 30 years and we had a 15 day dry spell on tour!Not sure who you might have chatted to in Central Australia. There have been a few people use the CGOAB route description of the House-to-House, including a couple from Canberra and another couple from WA. It could have been one of their rels.Yes...the area between Jindabyne and Buchan is superb. It was the highlight of the ride I think, but it was all good.

RonK wrote:Nice read Graham, that area is on my todo list for a Melb-Bris ride.

Off to NZ on Friday.

Thanks Ron. All the best in NZ. The ride to Melbourne gave my skinny Marathon Supremes a good test out on a full range of surfaces. I was very pleased with their handling, toughness and nice rolling. The section from Captains Flat to Numeralla was particularly hard on sidewalls. Ample sharp,protruding rocks. No problem.I had one flat. Coming into Foster, a short, sharp tack made its presence felt.A couple of times they slewed sideways a bit in deep, dust filled ruts on the Barry Way but I think any tyre except wide nobblies would have behaved similarly.If there is any other info. on the Canberra to Melbourne backroads route you'd like, or think should be on the blog pls let me know.

rog on a bike wrote:Graham! Great read, providing useful and interesting information.I looked with interest at your training regime . It obviously worked Cheers Rog

Thanks Rog.If there's any other info you'd like or suggestions to improve the blog I'd be pleased to receive them.Yes...I should have done more training but I've never been good at homework. The second day just about floored me. By Day 15 I was just about fit enough to catch one or two of those Beach Road pelotons.Regards Graham